If you die this week....

What is Thanksgiving with out a Turkey?
What is Thanksgiving with a Deep Fried Turkey?

This Southern technique has raised many eyebrows and questions as to it's health hazards and ultimate taste. Will it be oily? Will be it be hard on my HDL and LDL? Will it even taste like turkey?

Questions answered: The frying process seals the outside of the turkey keeping all the juices inside. The meat inside is cooked to a juicy perfection (not oily), the skin is crispy and the combination is very mouthwatering. The turkey comes out just as good for you as a baked turkey, just stay away from the skin if you care about how long you live. But, if you have to die this week, try something new this Thanksgiving and be the one that everyone thanks for introducing them to the deep fried turkey.

If you want to try this at home for the holidays or maybe for a tailgate party, check out the link below. The site will instruct you on everything from oil temperature to safety precautions. http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/cookinfo/fryturk.html

If you die this week....

Everyone loves surprises. Opening that box on Christmas morning and finding what you desired all year. Well that is what the 'pot pie' can offer you under its light flaky crust - but only in the right hands.

The pot pie has come light years from that hard crusted, chunks of dry tired chicken and under cooked veggies picture you have in the back of your mind. Under the buttery crust can be found shrimp, beef, veal, turkey or whatever else you think goes well with the veggie medley that explodes with taste and steam when the lid is broken. Below I have found the highest rated recipe for traditional pot pie on foodnetwork.com, but I want you to experiment with your 'Last Meal Pot Pie'. Take some of the items or themes from your own Last Meal and throw them together in a crusty pot pie pocket of goodness.


Ingredients
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

If you die this week....

....you must have a bowl of the Classic Clam Chowder. For me it's a combination of the leaves falling, the crisp autumn air, and the light rain that just won't go away - that makes me want to take the day off, stay in bed, and snuggle up to some hearty soup. If you have a good bakery near your home I recommend you ask them for a crusty loaf of bread that can easily be hollowed out to be made into a bread bowl.

Ingredients
Clam Broth:

* 4 slices bacon, chopped
* Olive oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, smashed
* 6 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* 16 littleneck clams, scrubbed well
* 1/2 lemon, juiced
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 3 cups water
* 2 tablespoons butter
* Extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 slices bacon, chopped
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* Leaves from 4 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 16 littleneck clams, scrubbed well
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Start by making the clam broth: Put a large pot over medium heat, add the bacon and saute until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon pieces from the pot and reserve them for something else. Add a 1-count of olive oil, the onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the clams, lemon juice, white wine, and water and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes to steam open the clams. Remove the clams from the pot, discarding any that don't open. Strain the broth into a bowl. Pull the clams out of their shells, chop them, and set them aside separately; discard the shells. Set the broth aside.

Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, garlic, and thyme and cook until the bacon renders its fat and the vegetables are good and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well. Pour in the clam broth and bring to a boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a boil and boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down (this will help to thicken the soup and give it a good texture). Add the chopped clams and season with salt and pepper.

Now add the 16 clams in their shells. Cover and simmer to open the clams, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve hot.